Genesis Church Phoenix

Romans 5:12-21 We were all born into sin through the act of our ancestor, Adam. His rebellion in the garden caused a ripple effect that has caused every human to be under the power of sin and death. In Adam, we are condemned. But, in Jesus, we are now made righteous and, instead of sin ruling, grace rules and gives us right standing with God.

Romans 6:1-11 Because we are no longer “in Adam” and are now “in Christ” the power of sin has ended. This doesn’t mean we will live and obey Jesus perfectly, it means the power sin once no longer dictates our lives. We are now united to Jesus and set free from the power of sin in our lives. We can overcome any temptation that comes our way and trust in the new identity we have in Him.

Join us as we talk over the vision that God has given us for Genesis in 2025 and beyond.

The love of God is at the same time mysterious and knowable. As Paul continues in Romans 5, he will unpack how personal and intimate the love of God really is and how we can be a people who not only know it and receive it, but share it with others.

Because of the good news of Jesus, we are now at peace with God and can stand with confidence in joy of the future. In light of this, our view of suffering changes drastically. Instead of it leading to despair, it actually leads to greater hope and character. We no longer see suffering as a detriment to our lives, but as a way for our faith and hope to be refined.

Nobody swoons over Christmas like Buddy the Elf; his sense of awe and wonder has captivated movie watchers for decades. What is so endearing about him is that we all desire that same awe and wonder around Christmas, much like the shepherds experienced. As they rested in their fields, a sense of awe and wonder came over them as they saw the star appear.

Clark Griswold was determined to have a “fun, old-fashioned family Christmas,” only to have his expectations dashed over and over again. Much like the Griswold Family Christmas, the very first Christmas took some unexpected turns. Though the Jewish people knew the prophecies of Micah and Isaiah, never could they have expected what God had planned. But, into the unexpected circumstances of Christma...

Pastor DJ Uithoven- Christmas at the Movies has been a great way to spend the holiday season here at Genesis. It's been so fun to see the surprises and to consider how God is teaching us important things about our lives through beloved films. Maybe you are like me, beginning to ask the question of what is next? How do I carry contentment, faith, wonder and care for myself into 2025? We are going t...

Kristen Lunceford- God pursued us in love, reconciling us to Himself through Christ. Now, as His ambassadors, we're called to pursue others with the same intentionality and grace, even and especially in the midst of conflict. Through this classic movie about a family finding their way back to each other, we’ll see how the gift of reconciliation has the power to transform our relationships with God...

Pastor DJ Uithoven- In the midst of our darkness and hopelessness, God needs to enter the world He created to bring back His light, hope and rescue. He could have chosen any form, any experience in human existence. We know now that He chose to be vulnerable, to arrive as the least for very good reason. This theme, though, will not be left behind at Jesus' birth. So much Christianity will reflect s...

Philippians 4:12, Christmas in the 21st Century promises contentment but rarely delivers. The temptation to seek contentment in all of the “trimmings” of Christmas is so strong that we often leave the month of December broke and anxious. The Kranks realized this same issue and decided to skip Christmas altogether. But, they too, realize even that will never truly lead them to contentment. Like Lut...

Romans 4:9-17 Themes: Salvation | Promises of God | Faith What is needed for a person to be saved? Is there a recipe to ensure it happens? Paul breaks down assumptions made about being saved and pins it down to one thing: faith. No ritual or religious ceremony has the power to save us, only the Holy Spirit’s work in our heart, leading us to faith in Jesus Christ. As a result, we don’t just believe...

Romans 4:1-8 Themes: Faith Alone | Imputed Righteousness | Forgiveness Is being a good person the end goal of faith? Is it even attainable? As Paul launches into chapter 4, he addresses how a person is actually considered “good” before God. It is surprisingly not how most might imagine it. Goodness is not achieved, it’s received. On our own, we could never become good enough to match God’s standar...

Pastor DJ Uithoven Romans 3:21-31 Themes: Forgiveness | Sacrifice | Cross | Faith Since religious practices and upholding the Law are unable to remedy our sin-problem and make us right with our Creator, God does what we can’t do for ourselves. Only through Jesus are we made right before God. Through His perfect obedience of God’s Law and His sacrifice on the cross are we able to experience freedom...

Romans 3:1-20 Themes: Humility | Grace | Forgiveness In light of our sinful state, God uses the Law to show us how sinful we have become. When we measure our lives against what God has asked of us, it becomes clear that none of us is righteous. Which means we will need something outside of ourselves to reunite us with God. We will need something (or someone) to save us.

Romans 2:17-29 Themes: God, the Father | Relationship | Life Change Some will try to achieve salvation through religion (the following of the Law). But, as Paul has personally discovered, chasing salvation through religion is an empty pursuit. Not only are we unable to follow the Law perfectly, but God doesn’t expect us to. Instead, His desire is for us to experience a changed life through an inti...

Romans 2:5-16 Themes: Salvation | God’s Holiness | Heaven/Hell While God remains patient and kind to us, there is a day of judgment coming. When that day comes all people will be judged according to what they have done with their lives—including what’s occurred in secret. Those who have surrendered their life to Jesus will be given eternal life. Those who haven’t will experience eternal separation...

As Paul concludes Romans 1, he addresses the various ways our sinful desires have disordered our lives and the world we live in, including our own self-righteousness. In the end, we are all in the same boat and are called to the only response that can lead to freedom and new life.

Romans 1:24-25 One critique of God is, “How could God allow such terrible things to happen in the world?” The truth, however, is that God simply gave us what we wanted. We have chosen sin and the worship of ourselves and the things of this world over Him. Instead of forcing Himself upon us, He lovingly allowed us to simply choose what we wanted most. He gave us over to our hearts’ desires.

Romans 1:16-23 The good news of Jesus can’t be fully understood until we understand the bad news. Yes, the good news tells us how to be made right with God. But, we must first understand that, apart from it, we are not in a right relationship with God. Because of sin, our minds and hearts have become corrupt, leading us to worship the things of this world instead of our Creator. And, no one is exe...

Romans 1:8-15 Before Paul dives into some of the most challenging passages in all of Scripture, he spends a moment to share his heart behind all of it. Paul is known as an apostle, a preacher, and an evangelist. But, at his core, Paul is a pastor. He is a follower of Jesus who loves and leads the people God has put in his care. Paul’s motive for writing Romans is not out of spite or anger or his o...

Romans 1:1-7 The book of Romans opens with a typical greeting and introduction from Paul. Paul very intentionally makes it clear who the entire book is about. It’s not about him. It’s not about the church in Rome. It’s not about Jews or Gentiles. It’s about Jesus. Every word Paul will share from chapter 1 to chapter 16 is about Jesus. From the very start, the book encourages anyone who reads it to...

Pastor DJ Uithoven and Heather Gano- One of the first things God does after He creates Adam is create Eve. In doing so, He resolves that is not good for any human to be alone. Only when Adam and Eve are connected to each other does He call it good. We, like them, were created for and need each other. To be fully alive requires us to seek out connection with others who love and follow Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 / 2 Corinthians 9:6-7,11 As some of the wealthiest people to ever walk the face of the earth, we have been called to not only enjoy what we have been given, but to be increasingly more generous. The good life is not found by hoarding our wealth, but by giving it back to God’s work in the church and to those who need it. To be fully alive requires us to prioritize generosity.

1 Peter 4:10 / John 13:14-17 The church and its mission to reach the world is sustained by the unselfish service of every person who follows Jesus. When we serve selflessly it not only brings hope to those around us but gives us a purpose bigger than ourselves. Only when we serve selflessly in the ways God has gifted us are we able to become fully alive in our faith.